Igor Dodon, the leader of Moldova’s opposition Party of Socialists advocating strategic partnership relations with Russia, has been officially recognized as winner of the presidential elections in the country, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said on Friday announcing the final result of the voting.

According to the Central Election Commission, Dodon won 834,081 votes (52%). His rival, Maia Sandu, the leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity and a single candidate of the country’s pro-European opposition, scored 766,593 votes (47%).

The election results will be referred for approval to the country’s Constitutional Court, the Central Election Commission said.